Lord Cairnforth, after much thought, left Helen’s letter behind with Duncan Cardross, charging him to break the tidings gradually to the minister, and tell him that he himself was then traveling to Edinburg with all the speed that, in those days, money, and money alone, could procure.  Oh, how he felt the blessing of riches!  Now, whatever her circumstances were, or might have been once, misery, poverty, could never afflict Helen more.  He was quite determined that from the time he brought them home, his cousin and his cousin’s wife should inhabit Cairnforth Castle; that, whether Captain Bruce’s life proved to be long or short, worthy or unworthy, he should be borne with, and forgiven every thing—­for Helen’s sake.

All the journey—­sleeping or waking, day or night—­Lord Cairnforth arranged or dreamed over his plans, until at ten o’clock the second night he found himself driving along the familiar Princes Street, with the grim Castle rock standing dark against the moonlight; while beyond, on the opposite side of what was then a morass, but is now railways and gardens, rose tier upon tier, like a fairy palace, the glittering lights of the old town of Edinburg.

Chapter 13

The earl reached Edinburg late at night.  Mrs. Campbell entreated him to go to bed, and not seek out the street where the Bruces lived till morning.

“For I ken the place weel,” said she, when she heard Lord Cairnforth inquiring for the address Helen had given.  “It’s ane o’ thae high lands in the New Town—­a grand flat wi’ a fine ha’ door—­and then ye gang up an’ up, till at the top flat ye find a bit nest like a bird’s —­and the folk living there are as ill off as a bird in winter-time.”

The earl, weary as he had been, raised his head at this, and spoke decisively,

“Tell Malcolm to fetch a coach.  I will go there tonight.”

“Eh!  Couldna ye bide till the morn?  Ye’ll just kill yourself,’ my lamb,” cried the affectionate woman, forgetting all her respect in her affection; but Lord Cairnforth understood it, and replied in the good old Scotch, which he always kept to warm his nurse’s heart,

“Na, na, I’ll no dee yet.  Keep your heart content; we’ll all soon be safe back at Cairnforth.”

It seemed, in truth, as if an almost miraculous amount of endurance and energy had been given to that frail body for this hour of need.  The earl’s dark eyes were gleaming with light, and every tone of his voice was proud and manly, as the strong, manly soul, counteracting all physical infirmities, rose up for the protection for the one creature in all the world who to him had been most dear.

“You’ll order apartments in the hotel, nurse.  See that every thing is right and comfortable for Mrs. Bruce.  I shall bring them back at once, if I can,” was his last word as he drove off, alone with Malcolm:  he wished to have no one with him who could possibly be done without.